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Abstract:

A ubiquitously mountable image display system includes a
shape-reconfigurable display screen component to which is attached a
plurality of circuit modules each having at least one light source. The
shape-reconfigurable display screen component is formed of a material
that accommodates flexing of the display screen component without
creating a perceivable aberration in separation distance between two or
more picture elements of an image that is rendered upon a viewing plane
of the display screen component when light from the plurality of light
sources is directed towards the viewing plane.

Claims:

1. An image display system, comprising: a display screen component
comprising a material that accommodates flexing of said display screen
component without creating a perceivable aberration in separation
distance between two or more picture elements of a displayed image; and a
plurality of circuit modules, each comprising a light source, said
plurality of circuit modules attached to said display screen in an
arrangement that generates the displayed image on a viewing plane of said
display screen.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said display screen component has a
plurality of perforations arranged in a matrix configuration, said
plurality of circuit modules are mounted upon a mounting plane that is
opposed to the viewing plane, and each individual light source of each of
said plurality of circuit modules is aligned to a corresponding
perforation of said display screen.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said separation distance between two or
more picture elements corresponds to inter-column spacing in the matrix
format.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said perceivable aberration comprises a
perceivable difference between a first inter-column spacing and a second
inter-column spacing in the matrix format.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said first inter-column spacing is
located between a first column and a second column, and said second
inter-column spacing is located between said second column and a third
column located adjacent to said second column.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said display screen component is a
semi-transparent display screen, and said plurality of circuit modules
are mounted upon a mounting plane opposing the viewing plane of said
display screen component.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein each light source comprises at least
one of a single-color light emitting diode, a bi-color light emitting
diode, or a tri-color light emitting diode.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said display screen component comprises
a plurality of light directing elements arranged to controllably block
propagation of light through said display screen component.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein each of said plurality of light
directing elements comprises a liquid crystal element.

10. An image display system, comprising: a display screen component
comprising a material that accommodates a first flexing operation
performed upon said display screen component to adapt said display screen
component to a first post-manufacture mounting environment, and further
accommodates a subsequent flexing operation performed to adapt said
display screen component to a second post-manufacture mounting
environment that is different than the first post-manufacture mounting
environment.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said material comprises a polymer.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein said first post-manufacture mounting
environment comprises a curved wall of a building structure and said
first flexing operation comprises configuring said display screen
component to conform to a curved portion of said curved wall.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said second post-manufacture mounting
environment comprises a pillar and said second flexing operation is
directed at wrapping said display screen around at least a portion of the
pillar.

14. An image display system, comprising: a display screen component
comprising a material that provides a plurality of post-manufacture
mounting options including an ability to flex said display screen
component to conform to a curvature of a curved mounting surface; and a
plurality of circuit modules, each comprising a light source, said
plurality of circuit modules attached to said display screen on a back
surface in an arrangement that cooperatively provides for flexing of said
display screen component without substantially distorting an image
displayed on a viewing surface of said display screen component when said
display screen component is mounted on said curved mounting surface.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising: a curved, rigid bar
attachable to said display screen component for maintaining a first
flexed shape of said display screen component.

16. The system of claim 14, further comprising: a mounting bar attachable
to said display screen component for limiting or eliminating said ability
to flex.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein said plurality of post-manufacture
mounting options further include an ability to suspend said display
screen component in free space.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein said light source is a light emitting
diode and each of said plurality of circuit modules comprises a circuit
board on which is mounted at least one light emitting diode, said circuit
board further comprising a driver circuit operable to provide a drive
signal to said at least one light emitting diode.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein said circuit board has at least one
beveled edge with a slope angle determined on the basis of a curvature
radius of said display screen component when flexed in accordance to a
specification limit

20. The system of claim 14, further comprising: a control unit comprising
circuitry for transmitting image drive signals to said plurality of
circuit modules, the control unit housed in a first fixture that is
communicatively coupled to a second fixture comprising said display
screen component and said plurality of circuit modules via a
communication link, thereby accommodating suspension of said second
fixture in free space with said first fixture located at a remote
location.

Description:

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

[0001] The use of traditional large screen displays is often restricted as
a result of inhospitable mounting conditions. One such inhospitable
mounting condition that is often encountered both indoors as well as
outdoors, is the lack of a flat mounting surface. As can be appreciated,
a flat mounting surface readily accommodates various types of mounting
arrangements and thereby constitutes a relatively hospitable environment
for mounting traditional large screen displays.

[0002] Unfortunately, many indoor as well as outdoor structures have
various protrusions and curved surfaces located at certain spots that may
coincidentally be the most desirable in terms of visibility to viewers.
The traditional approach to solving this problem is to either mount the
large screen display at a less than desirable alternative location, or to
mount it upon the non-flat surface by using a customized mounting fixture
along with its attendant handicaps such as material cost, labor cost,
weight issues etc.

[0003] As for the weight issue, even a flat mounting surface may turn out
to be unsuitable for mounting a large screen display if the mounting
surface is unable to bear the weight of a traditional large screen
display. As is known, the heaviness of the traditional large screen
display is a result of not only the weight of the screen itself, but also
the weight of the housing in which the screen is housed, and the weight
of the mechanical and electronic components contained inside the housing.
The weight issue associated with using a traditional large screen display
is further exacerbated by the weight of the mounting fixture, more so a
customized mounting fixture when used for mounting the display on a
non-flat surface.

[0004] To elaborate further upon certain other aspects associated with a
traditional large screen display, attention is first drawn to FIG. 1,
which shows a generic structure of a traditional large screen display
system 100.

[0005] When display system 100 is an LCD display system, the various
components may be generically described as including an LCD display
screen 115, a back-lighting system 110, and drive electronics 105. The
integrated packaging of these components, as well as other components
that are not shown (frame, cabinet, etc), leads to a cumbersome
arrangement having various limitations in terms of mounting
considerations, cost, limited field of view etc. Specifically, in FIG. 1,
the limited field of view (indicated by arrow 125) is typically
constrained to a frontal view with a viewing angle that is often
significantly less than 180 degrees.

[0006] When display system 100 is a plasma display system (rather than an
LCD system), the various components may be generically described as
including a plasma display screen 115, a plasma drive system 110, and
imaging/drive electronics 105. Plasma display screen 115 contains
multiple compartments 120 that contain gas for exciting a phosphor
coating inside the display screen 115. The plasma display system also
suffers from the same issues as described above with reference to the LCD
display system. Additionally, the plasma display system suffers from heat
related, as well as weight related issues when compared to the LCD
display system.

[0007] Attention is now drawn to FIGS. 2A-2E, which show a few examples of
inhospitable mounting surfaces, and may be used to elaborate upon certain
problems associated with mounting traditional large screen displays upon
such inhospitable mounting surfaces.

[0008]FIG. 2A shows an outward bulging surface 205 that fails to provide
a suitably flat surface for mounting display system 100. As a result of
the bulging, a customized mounting fixture would be needed for mounting
display system 100 upon surface 205. Understandably, the customized
mounting fixture would have to provide multiple anchoring points on
curved surface 205 so as to overcome problems associated with using a
single point anchor. Furthermore, if the curvature of surface 205 is
relatively steep, each of the mounting brackets that make contact with
the multiple anchoring points has to be designed to have a corresponding
curvature so as to provide a firm fixation upon surface 205. Such
requirements add to the cost and complexity of the customized mounting
fixture.

[0009]FIG. 2B shows an inwardly curved surface 210, such as a niche or a
recess in a wall. Here again, a customized mounting fixture is need for
mounting the display system 100 upon surface 210. Furthermore, if the
curvature of surface 210 is different than that of surface 205 (FIG. 2A),
the customized mounting fixture that was used upon surface 205 may not be
re-usable upon surface 210 even if it is desirable to relocate display
system 100 to this other location.

[0010]FIG. 2c also shows an inwardly curved surface such as the one shown
in FIG. 2B. However, the inwardly curved surface 215 of FIG. 2c has a
width and a curvature that does not permit mounting of display system 100
inside surface 215.

[0011]FIG. 2D shows a circular mounting surface 220, such as one
associated with a pillar for example. The extreme degree of curvature of
circular mounting surface 220 would not only necessitate a customized
mounting fixture but may also constitute a potential hazard in terms of
creating protrusions in the path of passers-by.

[0012]FIG. 2E shows a double-curvature surface 225, which again
necessitates a more elaborate, customized mounting fixture for mounting
display system 100.

SUMMARY

[0013] A ubiquitously mountable image display system includes a
shape-reconfigurable display screen component to which is attached a
plurality of circuit modules each having at least one light source. The
shape-reconfigurable display screen component is formed of a material
that accommodates flexing of the display screen component without
creating a perceivable aberration in separation distance between two or
more picture elements of an image that is rendered upon a viewing plane
of the display screen component when light from the plurality of light
sources is directed towards the viewing plane.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Many aspects of the invention can be better understood with
reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are
not necessarily to scale. Instead, emphasis is placed upon clearly
illustrating the principles of the invention. Moreover, in the drawings,
like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the
several views. Suffixes appended to reference numerals are generally
indicative of alternative embodiments. As an illustrative example, "405A"
(i.e. a reference numeral "405" with appended suffix "A") is indicative
of a first alternative embodiment of an element "405," while "405B"
indicates a second alternative embodiment of "405."

[0020]FIG. 6 shows a second alternative embodiment of the ubiquitously
mountable image display system shown in FIG. 3.

[0021]FIG. 7 shows a frontal view of a display screen component that is
shown in FIG. 4.

[0022]FIG. 8 shows some components of a light source circuit module that
is attachable to the display screen component shown in FIG. 7.

[0023] FIGS. 9A-9E show various inhospitable mounting surfaces each of
which has a ubiquitously mountable image display system mounted in
accordance with the invention.

[0024] FIGS. 10A-10E show various inhospitable mounting surfaces that are
oriented differently than the surfaces shown in FIGS. 9A-9E.

[0025] FIGS. 11A-11B shows an attachable bar that is attached to a display
screen component, and an illustrative example of a mounting arrangement
for the display screen component having the bar attached.

[0026]FIG. 12 shows ubiquitously mountable image display system mounted
on a curved surface and communicatively coupled to a remotely located
control unit.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] Throughout this description, embodiments and variations are
described for the purpose of illustrating uses and implementations of the
inventive concept. The illustrative description should be understood as
presenting examples of the inventive concept, rather than as limiting the
scope of the concept as disclosed herein. For example, it will be
understood that the description provided below with respect to mounting
the ubiquitously mountable image display system upon a curved surface
does not preclude mounting of the ubiquitously mountable image display
system upon a flat surface. A person of ordinary skill in the art will
recognize the advantages associated with using the ubiquitously mountable
image display system described herein (reduced weight, portability, cost
etc) for a wide variety of applications (including numerous traditional
applications such as flat surface mounting). It will also be understood,
that the word "image" as used herein does not merely refer to a static
image (such as a JPEG image) but encompasses moving images as well
(movies, video clips, dynamically varying advertising material, text
messages etc). It will be further understood that a reference may be made
to one particular embodiment (for example, an ubiquitously mountable
image display system "300") or to one particular element (for example,
"module 310") solely in the interests of convenience for purposes of
description. However, such a reference and/or accompanying description
may be equally applicable to various other embodiments (for example,
ubiquitously mountable image display system "400") or another element
(for example, "310C"). A person of ordinary skill in the art should
recognize such equivalencies and understand that the teachings below
encompass such diverse elements and applications.

[0028] Attention is now drawn to FIG. 3, which shows a ubiquitously
mountable image display system 300 in accordance with the invention.
Ubiquitously mountable image display system 300 includes a display screen
component 305 and a plurality of light source circuit modules, each
designated by the reference designator 310, and each containing at least
one light source 311. The plurality of light source circuit modules are
cooperatively arranged with respect to a mounting surface 306 of display
screen component 305 so as to project light through display screen
component 305 and render an image upon a viewing plane 307 of display
screen component 305 (viewable along a frontal viewing axis designated by
arrow 325). Each light source 311 provides one pixel of the image
rendered upon viewing plane 307. Pixel information may be generated by
modulating each light source 311 using one or more control signals
provided from a control unit (not shown).

[0029] In one embodiment, display screen component 305 is composed of a
material that provides partial transmissivity to light. As a result,
light emitted by each light source 311 is partially diffused so as to
create smooth transitional boundaries between the pixels of the image
rendered on viewing plane 307. Various types of materials may be used for
this purpose. A few non-limiting examples include various types of
plastics, fiberglass, acrylic and other polymers. Some of the criteria
that may be used for selecting this material includes: a desired level of
flexing capability along one or more axes, minimal weight, high
machinability (cutting, drilling, punching, polishing, finishing etc),
and a desired level of diffusion/transmissivity to RGB (red, green, blue)
light.

[0030] In another embodiment, display screen component 305 is composed of
a material that can accommodate selective blocking of light emitted by
each light source 311. A few non-limiting examples where such material is
used includes a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel, and a digital light
processing (DLP) panel. In this embodiment, the display screen component
305 may be suitably controlled via electronic circuitry (not shown) in
order to perform the selective blocking of light. The blocking may be
configured at a pixel level, or higher.

[0031] Irrespective of the nature of the material used in display screen
component 305, there are two features of display screen component 305
that may be deemed somewhat more important than others. These two
features are: the ability to flex along one or more axes, and minimal
weight. The ability to flex allows display screen component 305 to be
ubiquitously mounted on various types of hospitable as well as
inhospitable mounting surfaces. This aspect will be described below in
further detail using other figures. As for the minimal weight aspect,
display screen component 305 is not only selected on the basis of a
suitably light material, but each light source circuit module 310 is
designed to contain minimal circuitry, such that the combination of
display screen component 305 and light source circuit modules 310 can be
assembled as one integrated display unit having significantly less weight
than an equivalent prior-art large screen display unit. It should be
understood that a significant amount of the control circuitry that
provides signals to each light source circuit module 310 is contained
inside a separate assembly (a control unit, not shown in FIG. 3), which
may be located at a remote location (a table, for example), thereby not
contributing additional weight to the integrated display unit.

[0032] Each light source circuit module 310 is individually attached to
mounting surface 306 using a suitable adhesive, or suitable mechanical
fasteners (bolts, nuts, rivets, spacers etc), with no enclosure or frame
deemed essential for holding together the resulting assembly. The
elimination of the enclosure and/or frame reduces additional weight that
may not only be unnecessary but undesirable as well in certain
applications. For example, in an indoor environment, such as an
exhibition hall, a cabinet may not be needed for protecting ubiquitously
mountable image display system 300 from natural elements such as sun,
wind, and rain.

[0033] Furthermore, the weight of image display system 300 may be kept to
a minimum for certain applications (for example when hung from a ceiling)
by eliminating various hardware elements such as mounting brackets, user
controls, and metal bolts. However, it should be understood that such
hardware elements are not necessarily precluded from being used in
various applications, and thus, one or more of these elements can be
optionally included with ubiquitously mountable image display system 300
when so desired. A minimally configured ubiquitously mountable image
display system 300 may thus be described as a frame-free, cabinet-less,
shape-reconfigurable display system.

[0034]FIG. 4 shows a ubiquitously mountable image display system 400
where each of the plurality of light source circuit modules 310 is
flush-mounted upon a display screen component 305A. In this particular
version, display screen component 305A contains a plurality of
perforations 415 each of which is aligned to a corresponding light source
311 that is partially or wholly inserted into the perforation 415. In
this configuration, each of the light source circuit modules 310 may be
attached to mounting surface 306 of display screen component 305A using
an adhesive that is selected to provide a desired degree of adhesiveness
at one or more selected points of contact between each light source
module 310 and display screen component 305A. In one implementation, the
points of contact may be selected to lie along one or more edges of light
source circuit module 310, while in another implementation, the points of
contact may be selected to correspond to one or more corners of light
source circuit module 310.

[0035] In this embodiment, display screen component 305A is formed of a
material that is substantially opaque, thereby blocking light from
propagating out of areas other than perforations 415. Various types of
materials may be used for this purpose. A few non-limiting examples
include various types of opaque plastics, opaque fiberglass, and
composites including graphite-based composites. The criteria that may be
used for selecting this material includes: a desired level of flexing
capability along one or more axes, minimal weight, and high machinability
(cutting, drilling, punching, polishing, finishing etc). The high
machinability aspect comes into play to a large extent when fabricating
the perforations 415 upon display screen component 305A.

[0036] The extent to which a light source 311 is inserted into a
perforation 415 may vary from one implementation to another. For example,
in one implementation, the extent of insertion may result in a light
emitting surface of light source 311 being located flush with viewing
plane 307 of display screen component 305A.

[0037] FIG. 5 shows a flexing capability of a ubiquitously mountable image
display system 500. The flexing capability of display screen component
305 may be described as a post-manufacturing, multi-flexing capability
that is available to an end-user of a fully-manufactured ubiquitously
mountable image display system 500. In other words, in a default state,
display screen component 305 may take on a flat configuration with a
curveless, planar viewing plane 307 (as shown in FIG. 3) that enables a
viewer to view an image from a frontal location along a viewing axis
designated by arrow 325 (orthogonal to planar viewing plane 307).
However, an end-user may opt to reconfigure display screen component 305
so as to provide multiple viewing axes (designated by additional arrows
505 and 510), in the manner shown in FIG. 5, by suitably flexing display
screen component 305.

[0038] As can be understood, the bend radius, as well as shape, of display
screen component 305 may be initially selected to conform to a first
mounting surface such as a curved wall, for example. Subsequently, the
end-user may opt to re-use display screen component 305 upon a second
mounting surface, such as a pillar for example. In order to do so, the
end-user removes display screen component 305 from the curved wall, and
reconfigures the shape of display screen component 305 to conform to a
different curvature of the pillar so as to provide multiple viewing axes
around the pillar.

[0039] One or both of the two non-planar shapes described above may be
retained in their respective shapes by the use of suitable mounting
fixtures as long as a particular non-planar shape is desired. In other
words, a first mounting fixture, in the form of a first curved, rigid
support bar may be attached to display screen component 305 when display
screen component 305 is mounted on the curved wall, and the bar may be
removed when display screen component 305 is mounted on the pillar using
anchor bolts and hooks for example. Some additional aspects pertaining to
the use of support bars will be described below using FIG. 11.

[0040] It must be recognized that this form of end-user adjustment is
different in nature to a flexing operation that may be performed upon a
display screen element during a manufacturing operation of a traditional
display unit. The manufacture-related flexing operation provides a
curvature that cannot be modified by an end-user of the traditional
display unit.

[0041] Furthermore, it will be understood that the phrase "end-user" may
be applied to a wide variety of people, including, for example, a buyer
of the image display system, a lessee, or any other person who handles
the product after the product has been shipped out of a manufacturing
facility. The phrase also includes certain personnel who may be involved
with the product during the manufacturing process, such as for example, a
quality-control inspector or a product tester. Such personnel may test
the flexibility features as well as other features of the product before
shipping the product out of the manufacturing facility.

[0042]FIG. 6 shows an alternative embodiment of a ubiquitously mountable
image display system 600. In this embodiment, one or more of the
plurality of each light source circuit module 310A include one or more
beveled edges, such as beveled edges 611 and 612 for example.

[0043] To explain the rationale behind beveled edges 611 and 612,
attention is once again drawn to FIG. 5. As can be seen, each light
source circuit module 310 is separated from an adjacent light source
circuit module 310 by a certain separation distance. The separation
distance is selected on the basis of various considerations. A first
consideration is based upon obtaining a desired inter-pixel separation,
which directly contributes to the overall image resolution of an image
rendered on viewing plane 307. The second consideration pertains to a
maximum bend radius that can be provided over a certain surface area of
display screen component 305. A post-manufacturing flexing of display
screen component 305 exceeding the maximum bend radius may lead to
perceivable aberrations in image quality of an image rendered on viewing
plane 307. Further details pertaining to perceivable aberrations will be
provided below using FIG. 7.

[0044] However, the maximum separation distance that can be provided
between adjacent light source circuit modules 310 of FIG. 5 is
constrained by the height of each module extending above mounting surface
306. Unless separated by a minimum separation distance two adjacent light
source circuit modules 310 of FIG. 5 may collide with each other when
display screen component 305 is flexed to a certain extent. This extent
may turn out inadequate in terms of a desired maximum bend radius.

[0045] Consequently, one solution that is directed at minimizing the
negative impact, is to provide beveled edges 611 and 612 as shown in FIG.
6. Beveled edges 611 and 612 allow a greater bend radius to be provided
upon display screen component 305 than that provided by straight edges,
because collision of the edges of two adjacent light source circuit
modules is eliminated. The slope angle 613 of one or more beveled edges
can be selected on the basis of a curvature radius of the display screen
component 305 when flexed to a specification limit. The specification
limit may be set according to a desired image resolution as well as a
maximum acceptable distortion level upon the image displayed upon viewing
plane 307.

[0046] Attention is now drawn to FIG. 7, which shows a frontal view of
display screen component 305A. As shown, display screen component 305A
includes a plurality of perforations 705 arranged in a matrix
configuration. Each perforation 705 is shown as a circular perforation,
but it will be understood that other shapes (multi-sided, oval etc) may
be used instead. One among several factors that may be used in
determining the shape of perforation 705 pertains to the shape of light
source 311. For example, a circular shape may be used when light source
311 is a light emitting diode (LED) with a circular profile. On the other
hand, when the LED has a square packaging, perforation 705 may have a
corresponding square shape so as to for example, accommodate insertion of
the square LED.

[0047] To elaborate upon the matrix configuration, it can be seen that
rows 711, 712 and 713 are contiguous rows, while columns 714, 715 and 716
are contiguous columns. It can be further seen that the inter-row spacing
between rows 711, 712 and 713 is uniformly distributed, whereas the
inter-column spacing between columns 714, 715 and 716 is not uniform. The
separation distance between column 714 and 715 is larger than that
between columns 715 and 716. The non-uniform separation distance between
columns 714 and 715 leads to a perceivable aberration 720 being created
upon an image displayed on viewing surface 307.

[0048] Similarly, a non-uniform separation distance may exist between rows
as well. Here again, the non-uniform separation distance between rows
leads to a perceivable aberration upon an image displayed on viewing
surface 307.

[0049] A viewer's attention is automatically/sub-consciously drawn to such
visual incongruities, (which in this case relates to a non-uniform
spacing between columns (or between rows) of a matrix of image pixels)
thereby adversely affecting the viewing experience. Consequently, it is
desirable to eliminate such a non-uniform distribution of separation
distances between rows or columns.

[0050] In practice, the adverse effects related to such perceivable
aberrations may be minimized to some extent by providing a gradual change
in separation distance amongst the multiple columns located between two
vertical axes located at opposing vertical edges of display screen
component 305A and/or by providing a gradual change in separation
distance amongst the multiple rows located between two horizontal axes
located at opposing horizontal edges of display screen component 305A.

[0051] Such a gradual change in separation distance (in either the column
direction or in the row direction) is automatically provided by the
flexing characteristic of display screen component 305A, which eliminates
abrupt angular bends upon viewing surface 307. To accomplish this
feature, display screen component 305A is designed to incorporate a
maximum bend radius that may be carried out at any location along a
horizontal axis (and/or a vertical axis), thereby permitting display
screen component 305A to be configured to one or more flexed shapes
without creating any perceivable aberrations in either a horizontal or a
vertical viewing direction.

[0052] It should be noted that while the description above is directed at
display screen component 305A (having perforations), a person of ordinary
skill in the art will recognize that there are several aspects
(perceivable aberrations, separation distance between pixels etc) that
are equally applicable to display screen component 305 (diffused screen,
LCD screen, DLP screen etc) shown in FIG. 3.

[0053] Each light source circuit module 310 may be configured in different
ways. For example, as shown, light source circuit module 310A, which
includes a single light source 311 (not shown), is aligned with a
corresponding single perforation 705. On the other hand, light source
circuit module 310B contains multiple light sources 311 (not shown) and
is attached to display screen component 305A such that each of the
multiple light sources 311 is aligned to a corresponding perforation 705
in a set of perforations corresponding to the larger profile of light
source circuit module 310B. While only a few of circuit modules 310A and
310B are shown, it will be understood that several more of each of these
modules will be employed such that light is emitted via many more, or
all, perforations 705 of display screen component 305A.

[0054] Attention is now drawn to FIG. 8, which shows a few components of a
light source circuit module 310 that can be attached to display screen
component 305A as described above. Light source circuit module 310 can be
fabricated in several different ways. In one embodiment, light source
circuit module 310 is a printed circuit board (PCB) assembly containing a
light source 311 coupled to various electronic components. A few
non-limiting examples of light source 311 include a single-color LED, a
bi-color LED, and a tri-color LED. When a single-color LED is used, light
source 311 may be configured as a cluster of LEDs (an RGB cluster, for
example). On the other hand, when ubiquitously mountable image display
system 300 is a monochromatic display system, light source 311 may be
formed of an incandescent bulb, or a white color LED.

[0055] Drive circuit 810 includes signal drivers that provide drive
signals for driving light source 311. Control interface circuitry 805
contains circuitry that receives signals from a control unit (not shown)
and suitably conditions these signals for use by drive circuit 810. The
circuitry contained in control interface circuitry 805 is selected in
correspondence to the type of signals transmitted from the control unit.
For example, when the control unit provides wireless signals, control
interface circuitry 805 includes wireless devices that receive the
wireless signals and suitably demodulate these wireless signals to
generate baseband signals that are then provided to drive circuit 810 for
driving light source 311.

[0056] In a dynamic imaging application, where ubiquitously mountable
image display system 300 is used to display moving images (movies, videos
etc), control interface circuitry 805 may include signal conditioning
circuitry and image processing circuitry as well.

[0057] As explained above, multiple light source circuit modules 310 are
attached to display screen component 305 thus contributing to the overall
weight of the integrated assembly. Consequently, as a general rule, a
minimal amount of circuitry is incorporated into each light source
circuit module 310 so as to minimize size, weight, and cost of each
module, as well as to minimize the overall weight.

[0058] FIGS. 9A-9E show various inhospitable mounting surfaces each of
which has a ubiquitously mountable image display system 300 mounted
thereon. A comparison of FIGS. 9A-9E with prior art FIGS. 2A-2E would
indicate the advantages provided by the inherent characteristics of
ubiquitously mountable image display system 300.

[0059] Each of surfaces 205, 210, 215 and 225 of FIGS. 9A, 9B, 9C and 9E
respectively may correspond to ceiling surfaces inside a building
structure--an exhibition hall, for example. FIG. 9D indicates a
cylindrical structure extending in a horizontal or angular direction with
respect to a floor of a building--a circular beam near the ceiling, for
example.

[0060] FIGS. 10A-10E show various inhospitable mounting surfaces each of
which has a ubiquitously mountable image display system 300 mounted
thereon. In contrast to FIGS. 9A-9E, FIGS. 10A-10E may correspond to
surfaces such as walls, niches, pillars and recesses that are oriented in
a different direction. It will be understood that the reconfigurable
nature of ubiquitously mountable image display system 300 permits system
300 that is mounted on a first surface (surface 220, for example) to be
removed from that first surface and subsequently mounted on a second
surface (surface 225, for example) with minimal effort. This minimal
effort includes re-flexing ubiquitously mountable image display system
300 to correspond to the second surface 225. It may be pertinent to draw
specific attention to FIG. 10d, where ubiquitously mountable image
display system 300 is shown wrapped around a pillar structure. The
inherent advantages provided by the flexing characteristic of display
system 300 stands out in stark contrast to the prior art arrangement
shown in FIG. 2D.

[0061] FIG. 11A shows ubiquitously mountable image display system 300 with
a rigid, flex-retaining, attachable support bar 181 attached thereon.
Support bar 181 may be formed of different types of materials. In certain
applications, where permissible, support bar 181 may be formed of a
metal. However, in certain other applications, where weight
considerations are important, support bar 181 may be formed of a
lightweight material such as a composite, for example. This lightweight
material may have a pre-formed default shape, which helps ubiquitously
mountable image display system 300 retain a desired shape.

[0062] In the example configuration shown in FIG. 11A, support bar 181 is
a rigid bar shaped in a double-curvature configuration. When this rigid
bar is attached (using mechanical fasteners, for example), ubiquitously
mountable image display system 300 conforms to, and retains, the
double-curvature configuration without springing back to the default flat
surface condition mentioned above.

[0063] Support bar 181 is especially useful when ubiquitously mountable
image display system 300 is hung in free space as shown in FIG. 11B. As
can be understood, viewing surface 307 has a double-curvature
characteristic that matches the double-curvature characteristic of
support bar 181. The double-curvature characteristic of ubiquitously
mountable image display system 300 allows multiple fields of view from
different viewing angles.

[0064] When no longer needed to be hung in free space in the manner shown
in FIG. 11B, ubiquitously mountable image display system 300 may be
dismantled, support bar 181 detached, and ubiquitously mountable image
display system 300 may be reconfigured (by using a different kind of
support bar, including a flat, coplanar bar, for example) to match a
different mounting location (a flat wall surface, for example). Mounting
fixtures such as eyebolts 182, guy cable 183, and anchor bolt 184 may
also be removed and replaced with other kinds of attachable mounting
hardware that may be better suited for this different mounting location.

[0065]FIG. 12 shows ubiquitously mountable image display system 300
mounted on a curved surface 205 such as an upper section of a wall for
example. System 300 is communicatively coupled to a control unit 192 via
a suitable communication medium 191. Some examples of communication media
include wireless media (RF, infrared etc), wired media (coaxial cable,
twisted pair cable etc), and fiberoptic media (optical fiber, line of
sight laser etc).

[0066] Control unit 192 can be implemented in several different ways and
may be considered an integral part of a display system 190 that includes
ubiquitously mountable image display system 300 and any additional
hardware related to communication medium 191.

[0067] In a first embodiment, control unit 192 is a dedicated unit
containing hardware and software that are expressly designed for
interacting with ubiquitously mountable image display system 300.

[0068] In a second embodiment, control unit 192 is implemented in a
general-purpose computer such as a desktop personal computer or a laptop.

[0069] Typically, control unit 192 is located at a suitable location that
is remote from surface 205. Because weight considerations and mounting
considerations are comparatively less important in the case of control
unit 192 than in the case of ubiquitously mountable image display system
300, control unit 192 may be placed upon various suitable surfaces, such
as a tabletop, a shelf, a ledge etc. This two-piece configuration
(control unit 192 and ubiquitously mountable image display system 300) of
display system 190 provides various advantages for ubiquitously mounting
a display system in a wide variety of locations where traditional display
systems may suffer from various handicaps.

[0070] The above-described embodiments are merely set forth for a clear
understanding of the principles of the disclosure. Many variations and
modifications may be made without departing substantially from the
disclosure. All such modifications and variations are included herein
within the scope of this disclosure.